My DS doesn't eat alot. He will constantly tell me through out the day that he is hungry and I will ask what the wants and then make it for him. The reason I ask him is I think that if he asks for it he will eat it.
Most times he will just pick at the food and then say 'I don't like this'.
Basically he will pick at his breaskfast
pick at his lunch
have about three to four mouthfulls of dinner. Maybe more if we prompt him or if it something he really loves.
He will have snacks during the day as well.

Should I be concerned or is this a phase that kids go through.

My DD has been doing this and I even spoke to some people about it and apparently it is fairly common. We have started giving her 2 sittings of each meal about 2 hours apart which seems to be working. That way even if she only has a few mouthfuls the 2 meals combined will usually add up to a fairly decent sized meal.
HTH

If he is grazing/ snacking, then try offering the same thing as what you would for his meals, or offer healthy snacks and don't worry about 'meals' for him. Make quick, healthy meals/ snacks and have thing son hand in the freezer, so you don't spend alot of time making his meals/ food, only to have it rejected or wasted.

My fussy DD eats a select range of foods, depending on her mood or my energy to negotiate with her! And she has also been going through yet another phase of not seeming to eat much. She has yoghurt, cheese, some cold meat, pasta and spaghetti, sultanas, sometimes banana, and cheesy bean nachos as her snacks. But try these ideas:

Risotto (try chicken and mushroom, or a cheesy vege one)
Nachos (using beans, grated cheese, maybe chopped tomato, sauce and perhaps some sour cream or guacemole)
Toasted sandwiches (use hidden fibre bread and lean ham/ chicken meat, as well as cheese, tomato, anything they like)
Fried rice (using grated vege's and bacon)
Spaghetti bolognese (add vege's to the sauce)
Meatballs (using lean mince and grated vege's, or make 'porcupines')
Fish cakes (using tinned salmon and mixed mash)
Meatloaf (using lean beef mince and vege's or something different, try using chicken mince)
Pasta bake (using vege's in the sauce and smaller sized pasta)
Lasagna (using vege's in the sauce)
Vege fritters (try Corn and Bacon or Zuchini)
Mini quiches or frittatas (make them in muffin tins, using spinach, fetta, bacon, cheese, or anything they like)
Sausage potato bake (using lean chicken sausages and vege's, with mixed mash and cheese on top)
Shepards Pie (using lean lamb mince and vege's with mixed mash on top)
Soup (pumpkin, sweet potato, maybe roast vege, and serve with bread roll or muffin)
Savoury muffins (made with grated zuchini, cheese, bacon, onion, semi dried tomato, anything they like)
Chicken drumsticks (with the skin taken off, in a honey soy marinade)
Asian Noodles (with grated or stri fried vege's, and a satay or kecap manis sauce)

Alot of those can be made ahead of time, or frozen, or easily thrown together at the last minute.

Try this thread for recipes/ more ideas:
Toddler/ Kids Recipes and Meal Ideas
http://members.essentialbaby.com.au/index....howtopic=419707

And try this thread about Cook Ahead meals.. might help?:
http://members.essentialbaby.com.au/index....howtopic=520524

(Alternatively, if you feel it would work, try not giving any snacks and making sure at meal time he is hungry enough to eat properly...)
Good luck...

my 3yr old DS is alot like that, I stopped him having snacks through the day and still hasn't done alot trying to encourage meal times. I do think its quite common. my DS is very very overly fussy

Here is a good website:

http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/nut...tml/context/222

THanks for all your replies it is good to know I am not alone.
Thanks also for the tips I will try some of the meal suggestions.

My now 4 1/2 yo DS went through this until just a couple of months ago, and my DS#2 who is one month off 3 is doing this on and off. What we find, is if they help make the meal, then they will be more inclined to eat it. Even if you give some green beans to cut up and not put them in....just don't tell them

Also what helps them, as an example we had Ham and Pea Soup on the weekend....the colour alone made Daniel (DS#2) say 'BLUCK!', but we kept it in a bowl on the kitchen bench, put a couple of chairs there for DS#1 & 2, and cut up some toast for them to 'dippy dippy' into it....and because it was like a 'family all in' meal...he really got into it. I am planning on having more meals like this.

HTH


Mechelle

I have noticed that my 3 year old will eat whatever I'm chopping up...carrots, mushrooms, veggies, cheese...as long as she can get a chair and pick it off the cutting board. Of course, she won't eat these same things cooked in a meal! But I figure as long as she's eating it at all, it's a good thing. The novelty of eating it off the cutting board is exciting I guess!
The last few months her eating has been terrible at dinner time, I don't battle anymore and if she doesn't eat what's on offer, she goes without.